women folks, that it has been feared some of the songsters might become
extinct.

A law has, however, just been passed for their protection in
Massachusetts, which forbids the use of certain birds for millinery
purposes.

The petition begging that a bill of this character might be framed by
the State Senators was drawn up by United States Senator George F. Hoar.

The petition was supposed to come from the birds themselves, and to be
signed by thirty-five song-birds. It was written in such a delightful
manner that it roused the interest of the Massachusetts Legislature, and
the desired bill was prepared and passed in an astonishingly short space
of time.

The document is so pretty and graceful in its tone and language that
you would certainly like to read it for yourselves.

Here it is:


"_To the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:_

"We, the song-birds of Massachusetts and their playfellows, make this
our humble petition. We know more about you than you think we do. We
know how good you are. We have hopped about the roofs and looked in at
your windows of the houses you have built for poor and sick and hungry
people and little lame and deaf and blind children. We have built our
nests in the trees and sung many a song as we flew about the gardens and